Celebrations and grand scale feasts are what the Shadowhoof use to keep up morale. It is not uncommon for the tribe to host three or four feasts a moon cycle. Typically they keep it within their respective camps, but on some yearly occasions they invite their sister tribes and other Shu’halo tribes to their gatherings.

Ceremony of the Lunar Stag:

Each new moon, the Shadowhoof tribe honors their sister in the sky, Mu'sha, and her consort the Great Apa'ro. It is said that in days past the great stag won over the goddess with his stunning coat that shone like moonbeams on a lake. Disappearing from the sky, Mu'sha came to the stag and took him as her own.

However, being a being of great importance she is needed up in the night sky to guide all those living on Azeroth. Sneakily she comes down to Azeroth once a month to be with her beloved. This is why she is missing from the night sky, so those who know rejoice in the knowledge that sister Mu'sha is happy.

Summoning: The great Stag Ap'aro

The drums beat low and steady, the heartbeat of the anxious observer. Each hoof stomping the ground and shaking the area. A single Shu'halo stands from the croud with their hands held to the hiding moon.

"Great sister of the sky! We call to you for guidance!We call on the great stag spirit to honor the old ways!Great sister, we call upon your guardians to teach us!Let us honor you! Let us hunt this night!"

Ceremony of the Totems:

When a Shadowhoof reaches the end of their rites as a child and move on to adulthood they are given the task of choosing a totem for their Rite of Vision. The stories of each totem and its gifts are told time and time again in stories and song as the tribe celebrates. During this great feast, some of the initiates try their luck at gaining independence through earning the trust of a totem.

However, it is not an understood fact that once you ask a totem for their blessing that you instantly receive it. Most totems require a task to be done, and those who cannot complete these tasks remain without. It is very rare that an elder is without a totem, as after a good life a totem will often come to the adult. A more common sight is younger members and initiates who try and fail to gain the blessing of the spirit they choose.

During the feasting, many of the elders will tell tales of how they were granted their totem. After much feasting the elders will take up a chant and the ceremony will end with everyone honoring all the totems that bless the Shadowhoof.

Kodo Drum Circle:

Despite its name, this festival celebrates the sacrifice all animals made to the tauren tribe over the last year. A drum circle, in which a tauren constantly beats a drum until another tauren takes their place, forms and lasts all of a day and a night. The drumming honors the slain animals and asks the blessing of living animals who will give their lives for the tribe in the coming year. It is a bad omen for the drum circle to break before the end of the festival.

The Kodo Run:

This is an event performed at least once a year, at least when the season is good and when the elders deem it fit. Following long weeks of spiritual and physical preparation, a group of tauren hunters assembles and seeks a herd of kodos. They hide in the grasses until it passes by, which is when they spring forth and spook the beasts usually towards a cliff side. Since the kodos don't realize where they're heading in time, they drop one after another and hit the ground, exposing themselves to Tauren bows and spears whence they are finished. The rest of the tribe comes to gather every bit of the kodo and delivers it to the village. Many rituals and thanksgivings follow along with feasting, tanning and preserving. Such a hunt is enough to last a tribe for many months.

Dance of the Earthmother:

This four-part celebration marks the change of the seasons. Performed at the start of spring, summer, fall and winter, the ritual involves burning scented grass and herbs to ease the Earth Mother’s transition into her new form. At this time tauren feast on the traditional staples from the previous season; for instance, to usher in spring, tauren consume the last of their winter stores, such as dried meat and preserved vegetables.

The Shadowhoof and their sister tribes are not shy with their festivities to help the Earthmother transition. They are loud and this is one of the only times they will let other races join in their feasting without so much as a blink of the eye. Aligning each season with a specific animal (Winter for the wolf, Spring for the stag, Summer for the feline, and Fall for the bear) the shadowhoof also perform a small ritual of passing as one animal passes the rite of the season to another.

Renewal of the Sun:

This rite, performed at the height of summer, celebrates the continued rising and setting of the sun. Tauren view this ceremony as a celebration of the possibilities of a new day, and use it to motivate them to change over the following year. At the Renewal of the Sun, all tauren dress in shades of red and orange and wear gold or copper jewelry. Corn, carrots and other sun-hued vegetables make up most of the feast.

Shoutbox

Kurshaw:
OH NO, we wouldn't change this one! This pic has so much meaning to a lot of us <3

Imehany Thunderhorn:
(hey kursh, if you change the banner, make sure to save it cuz that's from the day I first met y'all and has meaning to me)